Blackrock Mercenaries

Things got tenser as we moved away from the body, hastily bundled up by some of Lord Henry's servants. They would take him back to Creeksbend, as the rest of us travelled onwards. The sight of the corpse didn't appear to shake the young lord, who simply hopped back into his coach, and shut the door.

Shouts from up and down the line arose, and I got the hint. We would head out, and soon. Rita slipped into her space next to me on my left, but to my shock, Penny jumped up too, nestled against my right side.

"Scratch is keeping an eye on Sasha," she explained, as she got comfortable, which caused me to push up against Rita. "How fast can we go?"

I had the uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu at the question, and on instinct, I tried to crane around to look behind us. No massive hands reached out, and I settled back into my seat with a sigh.

"We're not going fast at all. A simple trot will do."

"Boo."

Penny wiggled in her seat, and I didn't miss that she had placed her gun beside her. Rita followed suit, her sword out and ready, though I didn't expect anything to get close enough to try to attack us that way.

Though I felt squished between the two women, I snapped the reins and we all got going. A sense of unease filled me, and I spent my time scanning the trees. Every so often, Penny or Rita would tap a foot against the coach, getting a nod from the other.

It took almost an hour of travel before I caught onto what it meant. A flash of white drew my eye, and before it vanished, I saw a jackal mask. Neither of the two women moved, but when I kicked the coach lightly, they both nodded.

"Good catch, Money Man," Penny said. "That makes four. He's getting bolder."

Rita tensed, her head moving slowly as she scanned the treeline. "No, it's deliberate now. He wanted to be seen."

"Why?" I asked, my grip tightening on the reins.

"To scare us? Maybe because he's getting ready to make his move? He could be counting how many of us there are." Rita shrugged.

Penny jumped in. "Intimidation, or he's got an ambush."

"Would he bother ambushing us?" I spared them both a glance. "It's a sizeable group, and we have armored knights with us."

"Depends on what he's ambushing us with."

My blood ran cold as I licked my lips. "You don't think the—"

"No." Rita cut me off. "Not the tyrant. Remember when we fought the Varglatog? How there weren't as many babies as there should have been? The strange man we found dead in the cave?"

"Vaguely?"

I couldn't really remember. There had felt like a lot. Though mostly I had worried about my safety. The dead man rang a bell. Penny had said something about poachers?

"Well, take my word for it. If someone took the babies—"

"—it wouldn't be hard to get them to attack us," Penny finished for her.

"Ahh."

Without thinking, I reached for my gun, but Rita grabbed my arm and shook her head. "No need. Penny and I will have it, plus it's a theory, nothing more. Keep your concentration on driving."

"Yes, boss."

Her words made me feel a little better. Penny's bullets had done a remarkable job on the small creatures. Plus, some of Lord Henry's knights had crossbows. We would be safe.

"Almost to the point, it would only slow us down. Maybe Rita's wrong? If he wanted to do more than inconvenience us, there wouldn't be much point."

A few more times I got glimpses of the Jackal Mask, but also others in the white lace of the courier company. If not all, we could account for a majority of the group we saw in the woods. Though I didn't know how, that would help us.

The closer we got to Yuliosa, the less frequently they showed up, until the next time it wasn't them at all. Instead, I saw a face I recognised. It was the woman who was with Leon the night Penny and I broke into Mr. Linsin's house. Delilah.

She wore a yellow headband and a cruel smirk. Next to her was a small cage.

"Watch out!" Rita yelled, as she threw a packet of something at our horses.

It splashed up against Prancer, who whinnied and reared at the red substance. The chaos of the horses kept my attention and stopped me from seeing what happened next. Penny's shouts filled me in.

"Baby Varglatog's!"

They were as small as I remembered, but they flew directly for the horses. Shouts rose from behind me, as Rita tossed herself forward and onto the back of Prancer. She clung onto the mane for dear life as she slashed at an incoming monster.

Penny's weapon retort almost defended me, and I yelled in pain as I shifted the reins to one hand. With the other, I drew a gun and whirled, looking for Delilah. The others could deal with the four babies, well, two now.

That howler woman had come for my horses. She was going to get a taste of her own medicine. I saw her retreating back and fired. Delilah grasped her shoulder and stumbled, but vanished into the trees before I could reload for a second shot.

By the time I turned back, the last two of the Varglatog babies were dead. Penny was cleaning her gun, and Rita was sitting on Prancer's back, doing her best to calm him.

"That was an excellent shot," Penny said without looking up from her gun.

I finished reloading and stuck my gun back into my jacket. "Thanks. She got away, though."

"Not for long. I'm surprised she didn't use her headband."

"With her access to the monsters?" I shrugged. "She probably thought she would get away before anyone tried to attack her. Plus, they don't work against natural weapons."

"Not her first mistake."

There was a coldness in Penny's tone that I approved of. Cries asking what was happening came up, and soon a servant of Lord Henry appeared.

"Sir, he wishes to talk to you."

"Of course he does."

The servant gave me a look, but I ignored it as I waited for Rita to make her way back to the driver's seat. We swapped places, and I walked back with the servant to Lord Henry's coach.

Soundlessly, the door opened, and I found myself ushered inside. As I sat, I couldn't help but relax. The inside of his coach reminded me of my own. Plus seats, a crystal attached to the wall for long range communication, and several other creatures comforts.

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"I wonder if anyone found and moved my old one yet?"

"Mr. Burling," Lord Henry said, once I had settled in and the coach was moving again. "Can you explain what happened?"

"Yes sir. A member of a gang we've had issues with released some poached monsters onto the road. Our team handled it."

He folded his arm, and I could tell he was trying for confident, though he simply looked petulant. "Are we going to be attacked often?"

"No, I suspect this was simply a ploy to show us they were around. Without more information, I'm afraid I can't explain the reasoning behind this action. Though I can assure you, my lord, that we are working diligently to understand it, and your safety and enjoyment of this hunting trip is our top priority." I tried to keep my report brief, and my smile wide.

Lord Henry needed to feel two things from this interaction: safe and confident. I intended to deliver both in spades. With that in mind, I sat straight and explain the brief fight we had. He watched, fascinated, as I told him about Rita's acrobatic trick with the horses and the speed of Penny's shots.

With his attention fixed on me, I described the way the woman had run. How quick the actual fight was, and the simplicity of it all. I did my best to stress the relaxed nature of it, and mention what other exciting sights he might get to see.

"Wow." He paused and then started again. "I mean, it sounds like you did good work. Will they be able to summon the tyrant?"

I shook my head, grateful I had an answer for this. "Miss Thrumlin doesn't believe so, my lord. You will get the chance to have a proper hunt for that monster."

"Excellent. Excellent. I have to say this trip is already exciting. A murdered man? Gangs using monsters to fight. No one back home will be able to tell me I didn't earn my place on a field of battle after this."

"Very true, my lord."

He continued to prattle on about what he was seeing as the trip moved on. As he did, I tried to enjoy the feeling of travelling in comfort. It didn't come. My hands itched for the reins, and I kept surreptitiously checking the windows to see my surroundings.

"My dad would be proud. Was this the feeling he kept trying to instill in me?"

Shouts rose, and once again we slowed. With a hasty excuse, I slipped out of the coach and back into the light. People were milling about, and I moved along the line to where Penny was standing next to our transport.

From our current position, I could see the gates of Yuliosa and the figures standing before it. The guards were an expected sight, but the men and women with yellow headbands were not. It was clear they were arguing, though a group of them were watching us.

"Shall we go see what the holdup is?" I asked, as Sasha poked her head out of the door.

Penny sounded excited as she adjusted her gun on her shoulder. "Can we?"

"I don't see why not." My gaze moved to Rita, who was clutching the reins and looking about. "Are you ok with the horses?"

She nodded. "Go. Don't get hit from behind this time. I won't be here to help you."

Memories of being ambushed came back, and I shuddered. "Yes, boss."

That got a laugh from Penny, but before we could get away, we found ourselves with company. Lord Henry had appeared alongside one of his knights. The bulky man wore full plate armor and carried a large two-handed sword.

"We wanted to see what the holdup was after you left so suddenly," Lord Henry said. "Shall we move to the gate? I've never done this before."

"Of course, my lord, but please, would you allow Miss Flint and I to lead? We both know Captain Roderick, head of the guard."

I gestured towards where the man stood, arguing with a group of Howlers that I recognised. They were the same ones that had tried to block my way from getting to Reed's house. The younger man who had gotten kicked by the horse was at the back of the group.

"Lead on."

It was an explicit command, and I gave him a bow before we moved on. Penny strode beside me, and as we approached, most of the conversation ceased. Though I heard the tail end of the argument between the Howlers and Captain Roderick.

"We'll be the ones to greet him. You and your guards don't need to be here," said a broad-shouldered man in a yellow headband.

Captain Roderick said nothing and instead turned and bowed at our approach. "My Lord, welcome to Yuliosa. We welcome you to the flower festival and hope you enjoy your stay. May Floranian's blessing be on you."

"And you as well, Captain." Lord Henry gave a much shallower bow. "Did you know the roads around here are unsafe? Someone set monsters on our party. I hope whoever is in charge is dealing with such threats."

"We are aware."

Captain Roderick didn't bother to hide the way he looked over at the Howlers nearby. As he did, an older gentleman stepped forward. He was a solid man, dressed more like a bartender than a thug. His headband held back messy brown hair, with signs of grey near the roots.

"I can assure you, my lord, that they were acting alone." The man's voice was deep and held little of the normal southern twang. "Sections of my group have splintered off to work with others."

"And you would be?" Lord Henry asked.

"Moe, my lord. I run the clockmaker's dilemma, and I would be more than happy to host you."

The fact he didn't bow appeared to shock Lord Henry, who frowned at him. Beside me, the knight shifted his stance, widening his feet as he reached for the sword along his back. Penny grinned and stepped back, as though giving the man room. A flutter of fear ran through me.

"If the lord gets killed during a brawl here, we're all in trouble."

"You run The Howlers?" I butted in, moving forward to offer my hand to Moe. "A pleasure to meet you. Are you here to aid us in escorting Lord Henry to see the mayor?"

"I am indeed. He specifically requested our presence with how hectic things are at the moment."

His smile was pleasant, the picture of perfect customer service. Poker Face was the only thing that kept the pain from the way he crushed my hand away. I bore with it, though, and he eventually let my hand go. The moment he did, I turned to Lord Henry and gave him a bow.

"It seems we'll be on our way momentarily." I looked over at the young man loitering at the back of the group before I added. "We'll organize the horses swiftly."

He flinched, and Moe glared at me. I simply smiled back, and our small group returned to the procession. Though he offered, I declined Lord Henry's request to ride with him, citing that I needed to be with my team. Once again, I drove the coach through the gates of Yuliosa.

Moe and the howlers moved on our left, as Captain Roderick and several guards moved on our right. My gaze roamed over the streets of Yuliosa as we rode through them. Flowers, in pots, boxes, and tied in string, were almost everywhere. They hung from the doors of almost everyone's home. Sat in people's windows. What children we saw carried them like they were precious toys.

The citizens we passed in the streets stopped to watch us, their expressions going from startled at the sight of Moe to interest in Lord Henry. From what I could hear from his greets, he seemed determined to spread his name. A few children shrieked as he flicked gold coins towards them. Further behind us, I could hear the Gold Weasels already shouting about their wares, or asking where they could set up shop.

I pitied them. They wouldn't find many takers here, not for the prices they were charging. This procession continued until we reached the town square. It had changed since the last time I had seen it. More flowers, for once. Someone had also erected a large pole in the center of the tiled mosaic. From it dangled flowers, stripes of woven grass, and other decorations to honor Floranian.

People milled around the area, a mix of decorators and onlookers. Our presence forced them to vacate, as we parked a variety of carts, coaches, and horses. Captain Roderick helped the proceedings, and even the Howlers menaced people to get them out of the way. When we had found our space, I hopped down and offered a hand to Rita.

She rolled her eyes, but took it, and as I helped her down, my attention moved to the chest on the back of the coach. It had a lock, and I held the only key given to me by a servant. With my duty done, I moved to the chest and opened it. Golden coins glittered in the light, and I reached in to grab what I needed.

"One hundred for what I owe the Mayor, and then some more to pay off his interest. That will put him squarely in my debt." From the corner of my eye, I saw some of The Howlers turning their attention to the open chest. "Good, that will make my need to pay them off easier if they know I'm capable of it."

A thought came to me, and I wondered if I shouldn't send the horses back to Reed's house. It was doable, but with the valuable cargo attached, I didn't want it to leave where the biggest group of people could keep an eye on it. With that in mind, I gestured for Penny and one of the onlookers, who arrived as I was locking up.

"Can you guard this when we go inside?" I whispered to her as the other young man waited for the reason I called.

"Course, do I get to shoot anyone who tries to steal from it?"

The look on her face told me she was dead serious, and I gave her a sharp nod. "Yes."

"You." I pointed to the other man as Penny all but clapped in excitement. "Do you know where Reeds lives?"

"Yes, sir."

I flicked him a gold coin. "Here. Go tell him his horses are in the square."

"Yes, sir!" This time, the words were far more enthusiastic as he ran off.

With a quick word to Rita and Sasha, I moved to check on Lord Henry. He was deep in discussion with Captain Roderick and Moe, who seemed uncomfortable with the idea of not knowing where the Lord was. After making sure we wouldn't be missed, the three of us turned and made our way to the Mayor's office.

It was time to pay off some gambling debts.